Outdoor drapery

If the sun on your condo balcony is too hot to handle, envelop it with generous drapery

Keep cool by creating an outdoor area with drapery panels like homeowner Adrian Elliott.

Photograph by: Virginia Macdonald
, National Post

Dear Sam,

A few weeks back you wrote about how to make your balcony space usable. I live in an older but charming apartment building that was converted to a condo. My unit faces south and let me tell you, there is no way to use that space on a hot day. The blazing hot sun could fry an egg on our patio table. I'm getting rid of our dark green table and chair set because I think it attracts the heat. Any inexpensive suggestions on how to make the space cooler?

Sincere thanks,

Audrey Sherman

Hi Audrey,

A simple and pretty solution is to create an outdoor room by adding all-weather drapery panels to your balcony. Outdoor drapery panels will protect you from the sun's rays and give you privacy. Drapery panels will also provide an extra heat barrier to your indoor window treatments and help keep things cool inside your home.

For maximum sun protection, best not to skimp on the number of panels you purchase. I would apply the rule of using two to 2½ times the amount of fabric drapery for the width of the area you want to cover.

InVU (invudraperyco.com) drapery sells all-weather fabric in several patterns and colours and can measure, make and install custom outdoor drapery panels.

In the photo above, homeowner Adrian Elliott used a rod-andpocket application. This is much easier when you live in a house where the porch cover is made of wood. In condos and apartments, you're more likely to have brick or concrete. Unless you're handy with a drill and ladder, you'll to need to hire a handy man to drill hooks or brackets into your building's concrete. A cable or nautical rope will work just as well as rods.

Stores that specialize in small space and modern furniture like West Elm sell ready-made outdoor panels, but you should get buying soon (like today) because summer furniture and accessories are on sale and summer stock is dwindling. West Elm's woven polyester panels with stainless grommets are easy to hang. They come in white and platinum (a very pale shade of grey) which your neighbours will appreciate. Sorry, no orange and yellow banana patterns, please. Just like on the inside, your window treatments should be white or lined with white to keep your building's exterior looking consistent. Of course, before you install outdoor curtains, be sure to get the green light from your condo board. The board shouldn't have a problem if the panels are white and the installation looks neat and tidy.

While we're on the subject of colour, you're absolutely right about the sun's rays being attracted to dark colours. It makes a difference temperature-wise, but psychologically, too. Lighter colours are going to feel easy and breezy.

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